Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the current regulatory framework for Research Ethics Committees (RECs), including the Governance Arrangements for Research Ethics Committees, in providing adequate guidance for RECs considering research proposals pertaining to gender and sex.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made by the Department. The Health Research Authority (HRA) and the devolved administrations provide a Research Ethics Service so that research proposals relating to their areas of responsibility can be reviewed by a Research Ethics Committee (REC) for all kinds of health and social care research proposals within the scope of the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care research, including those pertaining to gender and sex.
A REC is a group of people appointed to review research proposals to assess formally if the research is ethical. This means the research must conform to recognised ethical standards. RECs protect the rights, safety, dignity and wellbeing of research participants and the Governance Arrangements for Research Ethics Committees, a United Kingdom wide policy, describes what is expected from RECs when reviewing research proposals.
Each REC is required to adopt the UK Standard Operating Procedures approved by, or on behalf of, its appointing authority, and each REC is audited against these standards on a rolling basis. RECs reviewing Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products must be accredited by the UK Ethics Committee Authority before they can review applications to ensure committees comply with legislation and uphold standards.
The HRA has a duty to provide an efficient and robust research ethics review service to protect participants.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consideration his Department has given to ensuring that council tax flexibility for fire and rescue services is applied across different governance models, including services delivered through county councils and standalone fire and rescue authorities.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities are responsible for deciding the level of their council tax. The Secretary of State sets referendum principles for a range of local authorities with different responsibilities, including fire services. The principles are considered on an annual basis, taking into account any changes in those responsibilities, and are consulted on as part of the annual Local Government Finance Settlement.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to review the funding distribution methodology for fire and rescue authorities following the Fair Funding Review 2.0.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that the current fire funding formula was designed over a decade ago. In line with responses to the principles of reform consultation in December 2024, the Government updated the fire and rescue relative needs formula by using the most up-to-date data available. We will work with the fire sector on a comprehensive review of the formula ahead of the next Spending Review and will be engaging with stakeholders shortly.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 to 2028-29 on the financial sustainability of Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Multi-year funding allocations were published at the final Local Government Finance Settlement on 9 February 2026.
The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. By the end of the multi-year Settlement (2028-29), the government will have provided a 15.5% increase in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England, worth over £11.4 billion, compared to 2025-26. Surrey Fire and Rescue Service is primarily funded by the Central Government and council tax precept via its parent authority, Surrey County Council. In 2026/27 Surrey County Council will have a core spending power of £1271.2 million, an increase of 6.6% compared to 2024-25.
For Surrey County Council, the Settlement will make available up to £1275.2 million in Core Spending Power by 2028-29, an increase of 6.9% since 2024-25. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
Fire and rescue services play a crucial role in making our communities safer, both in prevention and in responding to emergencies.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the change in the funding available for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service in (a) each financial year between 2026-27 and 2028-29 and (b) 2025-26.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Multi-year funding allocations were published at the final Local Government Finance Settlement on 9 February 2026.
The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. By the end of the multi-year Settlement (2028-29), the government will have provided a 15.5% increase in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England, worth over £11.4 billion, compared to 2025-26. Surrey Fire and Rescue Service is primarily funded by the Central Government and council tax precept via its parent authority, Surrey County Council. In 2026/27 Surrey County Council will have a core spending power of £1271.2 million, an increase of 6.6% compared to 2024-25.
For Surrey County Council, the Settlement will make available up to £1275.2 million in Core Spending Power by 2028-29, an increase of 6.9% since 2024-25. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
Fire and rescue services play a crucial role in making our communities safer, both in prevention and in responding to emergencies.